Wire-fence tool.



G. W. MURPHY.

WIRE FENCE. TOOL.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 20, 1914. 1,1 31,539, Patented ManQ, 1915.

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THE NORRIS PETERS c0 PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHING ION. u c

G. W. MURPHY. WIRE FENCE TQOL. APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 20, 1914 1,131,539, Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

THE NORRIS PETERS CQ, PHOTO LITHO. WASHING/ON. D. c

UMED STATES PATENT @FFTCE.

GEORGE W. MURPHY, OF DIXQN, TEXAS.

WIRE-FENCE TOOL.

Application filed March 20, 1914..

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE W. MURPHY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dixon, in the county of Hunt and State of Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in \Vire-Fence Tools, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in wire fence tools, the object being to provide a tool of the character which shall include a number of instruments each of which performing a function necessary to the successful erection of a wire fence.

A further object of the invention is the construction of a tool embodying the desired number of instruments, each of which being necessary in the erection or mending of a wire fence, and to arrange the instruments so that one will not interfere with the working of the other, and wherein all of the instruments serve as reinforcements or striker members for the tool proper.

The invention further consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the following specification and falling within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a wire fence tool constructed in accordance with the present invention, Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same illustrating the device employed for stretching wire, Fig. 3 is a view of the device employed for crimping wire, Fig. 4 is a view showing the manner in which two strands of wire are tied, Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1, Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1, Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view on the line 77 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 8 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line 88 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, in which like characters of reference designate similar parts throughout the several views, the numeral 1 designates the shank of my improved tool, which is in the nature of a rectangular metal bar. This bar has one of its ends passed through an opening or eye of a hammer-shaped member 2. The member 2 includes a head 3 and a claw 4. The head has its lower face provided with a transverse slot 5, the side of the said head being attached at diametrically opposite points toward the rear wall of the slot 5 or the wall nearest the longitudinally extend- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

Serial No. 826,088.

ing bar 1 as indicated by the numeral 6. The claw l is formed by centrally slitting the upper bow-shaped end of the hammer head member, and so provides two arched arms 7 and 8, the free ends of which engage with the opposite sides of the bar 1 and being secured to the said bar and to each other through the medium of a bolt or rivet 9. The portions of the arms 7 and 8 at their connection with the bar are substantially straight and parallel wth each other, but gradually converge to their juncture with the head proper, and the sides of said walls gradually incline so that the outer edges of the arms at their juncture of the head proper provide oppositely inclined or beveled members which will readily grasp the shank of a nail to bite against the same, the head of the nail being sustained upon the inner faces of the arms, as will be readily understood. The opposite end of the bar 1 is bifurcated to provide oppositely curved arms 10 and 11 respectively, each of the arms terminating in a sharp or pointed end, the said points being indicated by the numerals 12 and 13 respectively. Secured upon the opposite faces of the arms 10 and 11, at a slight but suitable distance to the rear of their pointed ends 12 and 13 are two plates 14 and 15 respectively, the said plates being connected with the arms 10 and 11 and with each other through the medium of rivets 15. The plates, between their connections with the arms 10 and 11, are of course spaced away from each other a distance equaling the thickness of the arms but beyond the said arms the plates are brought together and connected through the medium of rivets 16 and 17, and the said plates, at one pair of ends, are extended laterally to provide feet 1819. Each foot is slotted longitudinally, as at 20, the said slots being continued vertically with respect to the position of the device illustrated in Fig. 1, and communicate with the walls of registering rounded openings 21. This arrangement permits of the said wire being arranged within the rounded openings 21 when a slight turn of the tool will effectively hold the wire so that the same may be stretched. The opposite ends of the plates is and 15 have their ends curved outwardly in opposite directions, as indicated by the numerals 22 and 23, and the rear edges of the members 22 and 23 are beveled or inclined downwardly so that the said members are pointed and the pointed ends of themembers 22 and 23 are adapted to serve as fulcrum members whereby the device may be tilted inward to stretch the wire, when the same is held within the eye or opening 21. v H

The plates 14- and 15, central of the arms 10 and 11, are provided with elongated slots or openings 24 which enter from their outer edges, and arranged between the said plates and pivotally secured thereto, as at 25, is a lever, the same having a slotted head 27 which is adapted to be arranged to pass between the slots or openings 2 in the members 14 and 15, to engage with two wires which pass in the same plane but from opposite directions through the slots or openings 24 and to compress the said strands of wire between the arms 14 and 15 and so hold the strands upon the tool.

The numeral 28 designates a latch or holding member which is pivoted, as at 29 to the arm 11 and which is adapted to be swung into engagement with the lever 26 to retain the same in its wire engaging position. When the strands of wire are held as just described, the bar 1 is turned or rotated so that one of the strands will be wound upon the other strand, and thus connect the ends of the wire. To assist in thus connecting two ends of wires, the points 12 and 13 of the arms 10 and 11 are adapted to alternately serve as fulcrum members or as points upon which the bar 1 is rotated, it being evident that when one of the points is inserted within a post or other support the bar may be turned a desired distance, when the first point is raised out of the post to pe mit of the second point being inserted within the post and so the turning of the bar is continued until the strands are twisted suiiicientlv to hold the same together.

Preferably remova'bly connected with the bar 1 to the rear of the arms 10 and 11 is a substantially rectangular plate 30 of some hardened metal. the said plate being of a greater width than that of the bar and being centrally provided with slots 31 and 32 upon its opposite longitudinal edges. Pivotally secured. as at 33. intermediate of the slots 31 and 32, upon the plate '30, is the cutting head 3% provided upon a lever 34:. The

'head is prov ded with notches 35 and 36 which are adapted to be passed over the notches 31 and 32. the end walls provided by the notches 31, 32, 35 and 36 being preferablv sharpened so that a wire inserted with n one of the notches 31 or 32 will be quickly severed when engaged by the cutting edge provided upon one of the notches 35 or 36. The head 34 at its end opposite its handle 34! is formed with an arcuate recess or depression providing shoulders 37 and 38, while the plate is provided with a lug 39 which is adapted to be contacted by either of the shoulders 37 or 38 to limit the swinging movement of the lever 34 upon its pivot 32. To normally sustain'the lever 34 against movement with relation to the bar 1, I have found it desirable to provide the same with a spring member in the nature of a bail 450 which may be arranged upon both its inner and outer faces and which is rounded in cross section and is adapted to frictionally contact with the face of the bar to afford a resilient binding action between the lever and bar and so hold the lever against accidental movement with relation to the bar.

From the above description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the simplicity of the device as well as the advantages thereof will, it is thought, he perfectlv apparent to those skilled in the art to which such invention appertains without further detailed description.

Having thus described the inventiomwhat I claim is:

1. In a wire fence tool, a bar, arcuate arms upon one of the ends of the bar, plates con nected with each of the opposite sides of the arms and with each other beyond their connection with the arm, said plates at one of their ends being curved outwardly and pointed, the opposite ends of the plates having lateral extensions forming a foot, said foot being provided with a longitudinal slot, the bars above the slot having a curved depression which communicates with the slot, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a wire fence tool, a bar, arcuate arms upon one of the ends of the bar, plates connected with each of the opposite sides of the arms and with each other beyond their connection with the arm, said plates at one of their ends being curved outwardly and pointed, the opposite ends of the plates having lateral extensions forming a foot, said foot being provided with a longitudinal slot, the bars above the slot having a curved depression which communicates with the slot, and a wire splicer comprising mechanical means, said splicer being arranged between the said plates.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE W. MURPHY. Witnesses J. H. MORGAN, T. I). Monrnosn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each. by addressing the "Commissioner 0! Patents;

Washington, D. C. 

